Ohio State got a welcome update on Phillip Daniels, but the bigger storyline still centers on Austin Siereveld.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Buckeyes were still waiting to learn whether their starting right tackle will be available for Saturday’s game. Siereveld was a late addition to the injury report just a couple of hours before kickoff against Maryland, and while it initially had the feel of a minor, odd absence, the situation has not cleared up yet.
That matters because Siereveld is much more than a single-position fix on the offensive line. He’s a leader up front, one of the team’s leaders overall, and the kind of blocker Ohio State can move all over the line if needed.
Tackle, guard, even center - he’s the versatile piece the Buckeyes lean on when things get messy. By any measure, he is Ohio State’s best offensive lineman and one of its best players, period.
Daniels’ return is a useful development, though not exactly the kind that changes everything by itself. After being sidelined for nearly a month, he is now positioned to step into the right tackle role if Siereveld can’t go. That timing helps Ohio State now and also with USC on the horizon, especially with a bye week in between to give Daniels more time to keep building back.
The ideal scenario is simple: Siereveld is healthy enough to play, and Daniels doesn’t have to be asked to carry a major load in his first game back after a month. But if Siereveld remains out, Daniels may not have much choice.
That possibility becomes even more important against Indiana, whose defensive front is the clear strength of the Hoosiers’ defense. They’ve turned over a lot from last season, but their most dangerous pieces are still in the trenches, led by Stephen Daley. Through five games, Daley has already posted 6.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks.
If Ohio State wants to win, it will have to deal with Daley and Indiana’s defensive line. And if Siereveld can’t suit up, the Buckeyes may need to adjust some things to get there.
In Other News...
Ohio State Still Has One Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Special teams have remained the one nagging issue Ohio State cannot fully shake, even as the rest of the roster has kept the Buckeyes on track. The problem has been most visible in field goal kicking, where missed opportunities have already cost them in big moments, including a crucial miss in the previous Big Ten Championship. Connor Hawkins entered the 2026 season with some prior success behind him, but he has not delivered the level of reliability the Buckeyes expected.
Robby Dischers arrival as special teams coordinator was supposed to help settle things down, yet the issues have persisted enough to keep showing up in the conversation around this team. For a program with championship expectations, the margin for error is thin, and special teams are still threatening to trim that margin at the worst possible time. Until that changes, Ohio State will keep having to answer for a phase of the game it cannot afford to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Now Has A Fairness Fight Fans Can't Ignore
Ohio State and the rest of the states college programs now have a temporary opening to work around the NCAAs latest eligibility change after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order allowing schools to let student-athletes from the high school class of 2022 compete. The move comes as the NCAA shifts to a five years to play five seasons model, replacing the old four seasons in five years rule and stirring up uncertainty across college sports.
For Ohio State, the issue is less about paperwork than fairness, especially with legal disputes already hanging over the new eligibility framework. The governors order is designed to give Ohio athletes a chance to keep playing while those fights play out, and it adds another layer to a topic the Buckeyes and other in-state schools cannot simply ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Days Legend Bey Update Could Matter More Than It Seems
Ryan Days latest update on Legend Bey may not have come with much immediate fanfare, but it does offer a small sign of progress for Ohio State as it turns its attention to Indiana. Bey recently returned after missing two games and got limited carries against Maryland, a reminder that the Buckeyes are still easing him back in rather than asking him to jump straight into a big role.
Even so, the fact that Bey is earning more trust from the coaching staff is worth watching, especially for a team that always values depth at running back. His workload against Indiana is still expected to be modest, but the bigger story may be what this week says about where he stands in the pecking order as Ohio State keeps building toward the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]